Sifting through the noise

There are entirely too many baby products out in the world. It's all very overwhelming. And a little bit petrifying. What if we choose the wrong, well, anything? So much information, so many options, so much money! I thought I would be super excited to shop for our baby but honestly, I've been silently pushing the entire thought to the blind spot in my brain. Maybe you don't have one of those but conveniently, I do.



Luckily, my awesome friend Betsy put together a comprehensive list of all her favorites since welcoming Elora into the world, complete with wonderful commentary. Also, I'll be looking at lists that mommy bloggers like Joy and Maggie have so helpfully and meticulously posted.

In the end though, I need to remember the most important "thing" to provide our baby is a safe, healthy place to thrive and grow. Just like our parents did -- who had much, much less. In fact, they would be horrified by the sheer number of items marketed as baby essentials these days. Then again, we would probably be horrified at what was considered as baby safe back then.

We just need to buckle down and sift through the noise to get at what is essential, pure and good for baby.

P.S.
Hey, I know, you are probably not interested in baby items (and I'm not sure if we really need this). But gosh, I literally gasped aloud when I saw this promo video. Wow at 0:13.

Not Black Friday Shopping

I supported Small Business Saturday in a big way this year. I was happy to discover great new (to me) lines and even met a couple of the designers!

Group picture (l-r):

Naked Zebra cowl criss-cross sweater top. (Lady)
Vintage beaded sleeveless sweater, perfect for NYE! I love that the tag reads: Made in British Hong Kong. It makes me think of my family. (Owl Talk)
Popomomo wine colored ladder top made from Tencel - derived from wood pulp! super cool. (Letters from L.A.)
Myne by Ashley Ann top. (Letters from L.A.)

These new duds are puttin' a swagger in my step.

Ok. Well, that was fun. Back to not shopping for a while. My wallet is gaping at me and it's not pretty. ;-)

LEILA and Matt Bernson

What I'll be wearing this Fall.


24k gold plated Necklace by LEILA.


Jardin boots in Sahara by Matt Bernson.

I picked up both at my new favorite boutique, Letters from L.A..

CB2 Abuela 3-Speed Bicycle

look. how. cool.



CB2 styling has been kind of awesome lately. They even started carrying Woolly pockets! And now, they're offering up these super awesome his/hers bikes.

This is the perfect cruisin' around set of wheels, don't you think? If I wasn't too chicken to ride the mean streets of L.A., I would soooo park one of these bad boys in my garage for trips to the farmer's market, my parents' house, local eateries...

Oh, and the bell comes stock.

La Tropezienne

Last Thursday, at Clare Viver's trunk show, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Jeana, Ramis, and Heather -- 3 blog mavens I've been admiring for quite some time. We, and a veritable crowd of other CViv fans gathered around the delicious treats laid out for us.

No camera allowed in the club, otherwise there would be a photo here.

As soon as I got to the top of the staircase, Heather greeted me warmly and pointed out a sparkly black that was in very limited supply. Clare did not have any more of that leather. Tempting. I scanned the rainbow array and spotted La Tropezienne. I have been admiring it since I saw it on Jeana's blog over a year ago. That Trop, I decided, was my Trop.



And then, I saw both Deborah and Heather (two of the hostesses) carrying the blue clutch at different times during the event, looking fabulous. And then Jeana picked up the laptop version of it, also looking fabulous. The blue was just electric. Well, their advertising paid off.



Sigh. I'm a little shopped out. Never thought it would happen, but I am. These two lovelies are perfect pause points, don't you think?

Confessions of a Shoeaholic

For less than the price of those delicious ostrich feather creations (which I still covet), I was able to procure three (way more) affordable pairs to complete my warm weather foot gear wardrobe. It's been a few years since my toes stretched out in new summer shoes so when I found pairs that were super comfy, I bought.

The classic flip-flop, souped up with a seriously squishy footbed and rubber soles.



Versatile and sweet sandal flats, with a perforated insole and bendy rubber soles.



Very tall heels, also rubber soles. The platform make them surprisingly easy to walk in.



Ok. One of the key tips to preventing closet clutter is to get rid of one old item for every one new item that's brought in. To be honest, I have never implemented this tip for myself. So, earlier tonight, I set about making some decisions.

The first pair was easy. They're so cute that I wore them to death this past fall/winter. The inside arch is cracked and because I've worn down what little cushioning the thin soles possessed, my heels actually hurt when I wear them. And, I think they shrunk. Or my feet grew, which is possible I guess.

I dug further and have come to realize that I have a severe problem. The first step in defeating addiction is to recognize and acknowledge that there is problem, right?



Oh lord. They are nearly identical. Someone needs to stage an intervention. The pair I actually wear are the cheap vinyl ones -- on the right. They are the most comfortable. And, if you believe, they are my go-to shoes for rain because I don't have to worry about ruining them. I guess I should say ciao to the first two.

And then, there are these that I've kept for sentimental reasons. I've made wonderful memories (and traveled many miles) in this boots. I think I'll keep these for now. Maybe they'll come back into style.

PCC Flea Market - score!

We arose early to hit up the PCC Flea Market this morning and look what we got! Chairs for the nook!



No, they are not the Knoll Saarinen Tulips! Nope, not Burke renditions either as one other flea market goer declared. They are well made knockoffs but lovely just the same. I love how they spin and the base is sturdy metal. Seriously well constructed.

The chairs need the seat pads. They are a bit short for the table but I love how it looks together anyway. I think the pads will help.

Americana's Farmer's Market

(Same developer as The Grove, same synchronized to music shooting water fountain.)

A few weekends ago, Sergio and I stumbled upon the new Saturday Farmer's Market at the Americana while waiting for my car to get serviced at the Glendale Toyota dealership. I had seen the signs but forgot it was that weekend. It was certainly the fanciest one we had ever been to, with a definite Disneyland vibe. Everything was so perfect and the booths all had matching signage. It was a bit odd, I guess. It felt like I was on movie set. Still, the fruit and veggies were real, and so were the nice people hawking their wares. It was a gorgeous morning and early enough for it not to be too crowded yet. Though, this will soon change as more people know about the market. We purchased a dozen fresh eggs and I admit, they taste markedly better than regular store-bought. We got slices of quiche from a French baker for Sunday morning. They were giving away canvas grocery bags and coupon booklets to promote the Americana restaurants and stores. We took advantage a restaurant coupon since there wasn't many cooked food stalls to choose from. It was a nearly perfect Saturday morning.



I insisted stopping by Anthropologie for some creative inspiration. I used to really dislike entering this store because everything seems so overpriced to me. BUT, I absolutely love their beautiful merchandise displays. I like to take time to browse through every tiny detail in their "home" areas. If you like interesting girly pretty websites, you have to check theirs out. I don't think I've ever purchased a stitch of clothing from this store. But I do own a few settings of flatware from them that I've been slowly accumulating to make a full service for six and then hopefully eight. This is the very first time I've ever seen something in a magazine (via someone's blog) and felt like I had to have it! So, I'm breaking up the purchasing since I think they cost too much -- mostly because we have perfectly good utensils. The last time I got a set was several months ago. Sergio thinks we have six already. I think we have five. I'll probably wait until my birthday to get more. Maybe I'll have all eight by end of summer!

Hello again old friend. (maybe)

The other day, while checking in on one of my favorite sites: apartmenttherapy.com, I saw this story about MIO at Target. Eco-friendly designer products at Target? I HAD to see what that was about. I clicked around the store's site. The products looked neat. Nothing I need, but cool looking nonetheless. Hmmm....I wonder...

I did a quick google search on Target Corporation Inc. and found that not only is there a new CEO running the show (as of 5/2008), they also made public a 2008 Corporate Responsibility Report, which featured this nifty pie chart:

Target Corporation Direct Contributions

Doth mine eyes deceive me? Is this true? Or clever marketing? Is there such a thing as politi-washing? You see, in the last four+ years, I've managed to curtail my shopping at Target to exactly the following times:

1. I needed a gift in time for lunch ASAP and that was the only store open before work in which I absolutely knew I would be able to find said gift. I think this was in the first year I stopped shopping there.
2. Third year in, Sergio and I were walking in Pasadena and suddenly needed some sort of medication or bandage -- I think a combination of the two. There was a cut finger involved. Gosh, I wish I remembered what it was. Anyway, we happened to be right in front of that giant Target on Colorado.
   
3. Fourth year in, we were given Target gift cards for both our wedding and a post-wedding bridal shower at work.
   
4. Just last week, my coworker and I went in to purchase eco-friendly raffle prizes for a work event. I didn't spend my own money so I don't think this counts.

The original reason for boycotting was a very differently sliced pie back then. That quickly evolved into a surprisingly freeing lifestyle change that I absolutely loved. As a loyal fan of the store, I used to spend way too much on things I thought I "needed" and ended up with a lot of "stuff." Target marketing is so very good and I am so very susceptible. I admit it freely. Fun colors, friendly design, the smell of popcorn...got me every time I walked in.

When I made the conscious decision to stop going inside Targets, I found that I honestly, truly, didn't miss it that much. I was forced to spend a few cents more on certain household items, but that made me all the more conscious of my spending and consumption--resulting in overall money savings. Egads! One can survive without Target! Quite well and potentially better, actually. It also sort of coincided with our move to our current tiny home so the timing was perfect.

So, do I go back?
I don't know. I have been seriously torn about this. Especially after I saw all the eco-friendly items/supplies they now carry. Sergio and I discussed this -- yes, it warranted a discussion -- the strategy is this: I am allowed to go back, mainly for eco-friendly items for now. If it spirals into overspending again, I am back on the wagon. Even though this sounds like a good strategy, I'm still not sure. I'm trying to be a conscious consumer and it's hard enough without the sexy lure of Target's bountiful bosom.